Thursday, December 29, 2005

Proverbs 29.15

The rod and reproof give wisdom: but the child that is left to his own will, bringeth his mother to shame. Proverbs 29.15 NKJV

That's pretty plain advice in my book. Looking at other translations only supports the "black and white" of it. I am aware of teachers and camps that wiggle around the concept of the rod. But my studies and investigations have only confirmed that it is physical discipline. And of course, the Word itself supports itself. Amazing.

Check this out:Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his sould from hell. Proverbs 23:13,14 NKJV

Or this more modern translation:Don't be afraid to correct your young ones; a spanking won't kill them. A good spanking, in fact, might save them from something worse than death. Proverbs 23:13,14 The Message

Yup, that's right. Physical discipline. Beating. Spanking. Not popular these days, I know. In fact, just writing those words causes me to flinch. I have been inculcated with other concepts. But the Bible doesn't follow trends and fashions. It stands on its own. It stands in clear opposition to current philosophies.

So, the choice becomes more challenging. I must choose to live according to the precious Word rather than contemporary fads and trends that change with every whim. I must not shy away from the difficult. Neither should I allow my natural tendency to indulge foolishnness to overrule the wisdom prescribed in God's word.

We must love our children enough to do what is best for them. We must trust God enough to let His wisdom rule our behavior in this cause.

As I near the end of my child training career I find the need to be reminded of lasting principles.

28 Comments:

Back at home I was getting a bit discouraged, thinking I wasn't being consistent enough or dilligent enough in training Elena, however, now that I am here and everyone around us has seen how Elena is quick to obey (at least quicker than every other child here!) I see it has paid off and your words have just reinforced and encouraged me! Thank you so much for having modeled so much to me! I love you!

I thought of this post several times today....It's such a comfort that principles have been spelled out for us. Jeremy had orthoscopic surgery to repair his knee which had been bothering him. They thought there was some torn cartilage. It turned out his cartilage was gone, and that he had a 30 mm crater in his bone due to excessive grinding. They drilled a couple holes, and applied a synthetic patch in hopes of regenerating some new growth. He's been instructed to be no weight bearing, and to be every careful not to twist it. All the baking has been for the Coffee Cabin. It's my contribution. It is very enjoyable being able to assist Jeremy in such a direct way. It's amazing to stand back and acknowledge God's leading in hindsight. Wow. If you only knew the prayers I have offered this past year, and heart changes worked in me and now I can see why that was all worked out. Going with the flow, trusting God, letting go....prayer. It's the answer. Pieces of a puzzle coming together. As always, you have pointed out a good way. With much love, and continued prayers for your leg, Dee